that's when I run (to you)
by Divergent338
Summary: Post Humbug fluff


She tasted like hot chocolate when he tugged her over the center console of her SRX to capture her lips again, being bold apparently not including locking lips directly in front of their coworkers just yet - just across an ice rink from them. Though being spared from Sam's eye rolls and Callen's low whistles and smirks while they took the time to figure out exactly what they were together was a blessing.

And he was more than ready to take this trip, this opportunity, forever to discover exactly what all it entailed.

She giggled when he pulled her close after shutting the door with a solid thunk, pushing the rest of the world away, savoring that little nervous burst of laughter that was pulled from her lips with the scratch of his scruff on her neck, the tiny, almost inaudible whimper that came when he deepened the kisses that began on the ice.

But it was her soft sigh of contentment that truly seized his heart, body cradled against his side as she pushed aside her usual starfish like habits for the night to instead press close, hair tickling his chin when she kissed his jaw tenderly, murmuring a few words that hardly made it through the haze if slumber falling over him, though the intimacy of the few sentences kept him guessing, half leaning towards imagination, only the snug warmth of her body keeping him grounded.

And really, that was what made the chill of the empty bed he woke to so jarring.

Kisses, promises mixed with buzzing excitement, bags packed for their planned trip, falling asleep with bare skin against bare skin, paired with memories of how their last jump from partners to more had so quickly unraveled from the hastily made plans they'd pushed into place, perhaps the empty place on the mattress beside him shouldn't be a shock, perhaps the chill from the blankets shouldn't already be chasing it's way to his heart.

Stupid, maybe, maybe the years of playful back and forth, banter, and a few kisses that had them both wishing for more couldn't be handled by a simple conversation and a few pledges, but even if fear creeping into her heart forced her away from his sleepy embrace, he couldn't begin label this as a mistake, another step forward in their constant game, he only could pray that it wouldn't bring them two steps back.

Really though, it was his quite literal steps into his small kitchen that made his breath catch in his throat.

Or maybe it was just how utterly adorable she was in a pair of tiny shorts and his hoodie.

"You're here?" The half question fell from her mouth just the same words pounced upon his own thoughts with memory of her shy smile when she murmured _"all in."_

"Monty had to go out," she continued, ignoring his thought process with a strange nervousness in her tone, fingers curled around the edge of an open cabinet and a few ingredients that didn't seem to mash together open on the small counter top. "I thought you might want breakfast."

"Most important meal of the day," he nodded, attempting to brush away the earlier moment of emptiness, really she wasn't the only one with lingering cobwebs of fear strung through her mind, wasn't the only one terrified of the fall that always always followed the leap.

Though now they were still flying, and he couldn't help but enjoy every second of her entangling her life with his, or her standing in his small apartment with sleep still crinkling the corners of her eyes and the delicate smile pressed to her lips that was solely for him.

Maybe the fall wasn't inevitable.

"But you don't cook," he finished with a half smirk and a step closer, palm finding it's way to her side.

"Cereal," she cocked her head, tone as dry as the box of maple brown sugar Life open to her left. ""But you're missing milk."

"Most people clear out perishables before traveling, isn't like twinkies, you know, doesn't last after the apocalypse, not that those last more than a day or two with you around, Princess."

The sharpness in Kensi's dark eyes told him that maybe he wouldn't last a day or two into this new development between them, but the slight tug at the corner of her lips compelled him to tilt forward, planting a kiss exactly where he saw that tiny twitch.

She was ridiculously irresistible now that he could follow through on his near constant desire to kiss her.

Maybe somehow, continuing to fly was a tangible possibility.

He could have mentioned that revelation, could have murmured a question against her lips as her fingers curled in the soft curls at the nape of his neck, free hand flat across his chest, but really, they'd talked enough already, said too much without ever saying anything at all, actions were louder than words anyway.


End file.
